Forgotten

In the small town of Everwood, there was a garden that no one spoke about. It sat behind the old, crumbling estate of the Galloway family, overgrown with vines and thick hedges. The mansion had been abandoned for decades, but the garden remained a mystery. Its gates, rusted and barely hanging on their hinges, were a symbol of something lost—a secret kept hidden for years.

No one dared to approach the garden, for the rumors surrounding it were enough to keep the townspeople away. Whispers told of strange happenings: shadows that moved on their own, flowers that bloomed at midnight, and eerie sounds that echoed through the night. For years, the garden had been left untouched, until one day, a young woman named Lily decided to explore.

The Unlikely Explorer

Lily had always been curious. She grew up hearing the stories about the garden, but rather than being frightened, she was drawn to it. She had recently moved to Everwood, hoping to start anew after a difficult breakup. The quiet town seemed perfect for her to heal, but the mystery of the garden lingered in her mind, pulling her like a magnet.

One afternoon, with the sun dipping low in the sky, Lily stood at the entrance of the garden. The gates creaked as she pushed them open, revealing a world that seemed frozen in time. The air was thick with the scent of jasmine and roses, but there was something unnatural about the stillness. It felt as if the garden had been waiting for her, just as she had been waiting for it.

As she wandered deeper into the overgrown paths, Lily noticed that the plants seemed to grow in strange patterns—twisting and curling in ways that defied nature. Some flowers glowed faintly in the dimming light, casting an otherworldly aura around them. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves in the breeze.

The Heart of the Garden

At the center of the garden stood an ancient fountain, its waters still and covered in moss. It was beautiful, yet haunting. As Lily approached, she noticed something peculiar. The water in the fountain seemed to shimmer, as if it were reflecting not the sky above, but something much deeper—a hidden world beneath the surface.

Drawn to the fountain, Lily bent down to take a closer look. Her fingers brushed against the cold stone, and in that moment, the air seemed to shift. The ground beneath her feet trembled, and the water in the fountain rippled, revealing a faint image of a woman’s face.

Startled, Lily stepped back, but the face in the water remained. It was a woman, with long, dark hair and eyes that seemed to be pleading for something. The face was both familiar and foreign, as if Lily had seen it before, but couldn’t place where.

The Forgotten Truth

Suddenly, a voice echoed in the stillness of the garden. It was soft, yet clear, and seemed to come from nowhere.

“Find me.”

Lily’s heart raced. She looked around, but no one was there. The voice spoke again, this time more urgently.

“Find me… before it’s too late.”

Without thinking, Lily reached out and touched the water. As her fingers made contact, the garden seemed to come alive. The flowers bloomed brighter, the vines twisted and moved, and the ground beneath her feet shifted. The face in the fountain stared at her with a knowing expression.

Then, everything went silent. The garden was still once again, but Lily now understood. The garden held the memory of someone long lost—someone trapped in time. And it was up to her to unlock its secret before the garden, and its mystery, faded forever.


---